ask the three of you to take it over if he didn’t believe you could do it,” she said softly.
Jace didn’t say anything for a minute, then sighed deeply. “I hope you’re right, Hannah. I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders right now. I have big shoes to fill and I don’t want to let him down.”
She reached out and placed her hand on his. “You won’t. He believed you can do it, and I do, too.”
He couldn’t help but smile. It had always been that way with Hannah when it came to him, Caden and Dalton. She made them feel special in ways his own mother hadn’t. Sylvia Granger hadn’t been the easiest woman to get along with, and Jace had known it.
“Thanks.” He took a sip of his tea and then said, “Tomorrow is a big day but I think we’re going to get through it.”
She nodded. “You will get through it. Running Granger’s is in your blood. You’ll see.”
He didn’t say anything for a minute and then asked, “Did you know the company was in such a dire state?”
She shook her head. “No, Richard never talked about work with me. That was our rule. I wanted to be his escape from all of that. I wanted him to be able to relax without worrying about Grangers. I wanted only happy times for us.”
“And considering everything,” Jace said softly, “you deserved those happy times. You both did. It’s okay for us to grieve now, but I believe happy times will return for all of us one day.”
She paused a minute and then said, “Do you know what would make me extremely happy?”
He glanced over at her. “No. What?”
“For you to settle down one day, remarry and give me another generation of Grangers to raise.”
Jace chuckled. “Let’s conquer one thing at a time, please. I’ll be married to Granger Aeronautics for a while.”
Hannah snorted. “That company won’t keep you warm at night. Remember that.”
He leaned back in his chair and gazed at Hannah and smiled. He had a feeling she would not let him forget it.
Chapter Seven
B randy Booker, the receptionist who was manning the spacious lobby of Granger Aeronautics, looked up from her desk and stared into three pairs of light brown eyes. She remembered seeing the three a few days ago at the funeral services for Richard Granger. They were his grandsons, and never had she seen such sexy, handsome men before. Sunlight filtering through the huge window seemed to shine directly on them, making them appear almost bigger than life and even more handsome.
They were impeccably dressed in expensive business suits, white dress shirts and fashionable ties. Two of the men wore serious expressions, while the third was giving her a flirty grin, which she was tempted to give back to him. She cleared her throat. “Yes, may I help you?”
“We’re the Grangers, and we’re here for the stockholders’ meeting,” one of the men said. She knew he was Jace Granger, the eldest. She recalled he had delivered his grandfather’s eulogy.
Rumors were going around that Mr. Granger had left the business to his grandsons, and she had a feeling things were about to get pretty interesting around here. Especially since Mr. Freeman, the VP, had been running around like a chicken with his head cut off all morning. He liked power and was fighting like hell to retain it.
“Yes, Mr. Granger, the meeting is about to begin.” She wondered if their timing was deliberate to make some sort of grand entrance, and she could certainly see them making one. “I’ll be happy to escort you in.”
* * *
Jace, Caden and Dalton walked into the huge conference room, and everyone seated at the table glanced their way. Seeing three empty seats, they took them. Jace saw the disappointed look that flashed in Freeman’s eyes and figured the man had been hoping they would be no-shows.
Once seated, Jace glanced around the room. Everyone who he figured would be here was, and since there were a few people he hadn’t expected, he could only assume they were
K. Sterling
Jacquie Rogers
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley
Shiloh Walker
Elizabeth Moynihan
Mary Balogh
Tara Fox Hall
Jonathan Maberry
Jane Hunt
James Kakalios